Taxpayers shouldn't pay

Let us get this right - firm A has a contract with the Department of Energy, and it gets sued in a harassment case. And the federal government then picks up the legal bill and pays the fine. Huh?

Congressional investigators recently said the federal treasury kicked in $330 million for private contractors' legal bills over a 5 1/2-year span. In fact, when a contractor for DOE gets sued, taxpayers covered the costs 95 percent of the time.

Even more amazing is DOE's rules for paying are more stringent than for other government agencies, such as the Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The department claims it is unique, because many of its facilities are operated by private contractors. Some, like the University of California, claim state immunity from lawsuits as well.

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Completely tied to the government contract, it's difficult for some firms to come up with "extra" money for legal defenses and court payouts, some experts contend.

But some critics suggest that if the federal government is going to pay, what incentive is there for a contractor to follow the law? The due diligence that many businesses follow in ensuring a safe, no harassment workplace may be compromised if there is no incentive for keeping that diligence.

It would make more sense that if a contract is let for a company to operate a facility, the bid should include a limited amount of money for legal concerns - and if the company tops that, they are on the hook for the money, not us taxpayers.